Why am I here?

Back here again.

Writing down my feelings,

Alone with a pen

What is the point,

To these scribbles I write?

It is all just noise

That keeps me up at night.

I feel like a frayed wire,

Burnt out like a dead fuse

Like someone set fire to me,

And left me abused.


Depression isn’t something

That just goes away

It isn’t a passing entity

That disappears one day.


It dives down and resurfaces 

A roller coaster no one wants

Its lyrics are always written

In some brutal and bloody font.


Depression is permanent

For most It is always there.

It hangs like an corporeal curtain

And it never, ever plays fair.


It rips at your soul

Talons beared but only you see

Depression is curated

Which makes it feel like its just me.


Some people say 

“you a stronger than you think”

But I have been in this miasma for years

I want more than white knuckles, 

gripping the bathroom sink.


Grounded in something broken,

Adrift with everything lost

My pieces stolen away from me

Loving another comes at a cost.


There is only so much

Of your soul you can give,

Before there is nothing left to offer

And your heart no longer lives.


Decay is onsetting

Like fallen leaves turned to mulch

Until you feel nothing

Not even the strongest punch


So make this numb feeling your power

You can fight and not feel pain

Because what could be worse

Than the game you already played?


Now go and throw your punches,

If you lose it doesnt really matter

Because in the end its painfully obvious

Your heart is already in tatters.

A note from the author:

“I want to raise awareness about mental health, and fight the stigmas associated with it, through sharing my own experiences. Most of the time, I write about it. How it makes me feel. What is going on inside my mind. When my recent and ongoing bout of depression reached its peak, I wrote this poem. It was a stream of my thoughts and feelings at that time, unabridged and entirely honest.

I hope it will give others going through similar battles the freedom to speak more freely about their own struggles, without judgement or fear. You aren’t alone.”

Ed.: If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts The Samaritans are a brilliant organisation, available to talk with at any time, 365 days a year. Their website is accessible here.

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Season Poem (for Johannesburg)